A fire at an abandoned seafront museum is thought to have been started deliberately.

Crews were called on Sunday afternoon to the blaze at Ramsgate’s West Cliff Hall, home of the former Motor Museum, which shut in 2005.

But firefighters think the fire was no accident, with a spokesperson saying: “It’s believed the fire was started deliberately”.

“Four fire engines attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus used hose reel jets to extinguish a small fire, before using a high-pressured fan to clear the building of smoke.

“No injuries were reported.”

Four firefighters were pictured in front of railings near West Cliff Hall, at around 1.30pm.

One was seen to be climbing over the fence.

Video footage taken by Ramsgate resident Victor Benady shows five crew members putting a long hose through the doorway of the boarded-up building.

Mr Benady said: “Smoke is coming both from the main doors and the level above,” he said.

“It took a while for the fire brigade to get in due to the security grills but they’re in there now with hoses.”

West Cliff Hall has stood empty since 2005, when the museum left.

The building first opened in 1914 as a theatre and concert hall.

There have been several attempts to revitalise the building over the years, which have come to nothing.

In 2017 it was sold at auction by Thanet District Council, and remains in a derelict condition.